Hate Cardio? A 10‐Minute Barbell Complex is All You Need

The 2025 Olympia drumbeat grows louder as Hadi Choopan endures visa turmoil for a punishing FST‐7 back session and Derek Lunsford fuels his prep with a 4,000‐calorie carb fest, while the community mourns the loss of Women’s Physique Pro Jessica Rivera.

September 24, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 12 minutes

Barbell complexes string together deadlifts, hang cleans, front squats, push presses, and bent‑over rows without putting the bar down, so your heart rate soars and your grip begs for mercy. The same weight rides the bar for every movement, making exercise order critical: start with pulls, transition to squats and presses, then finish with rows. Beginners might run three rounds of 4–6 reps per lift with two‑minute breaks; intermediates can push for 6–8 reps and four rounds, while veterans chase 8–10 reps across five rounds. Because every rep counts, choose a load based on your weakest lift and embrace the afterburn effect; expect metabolic conditioning that improves endurance, mental toughness, and fat loss. You’ll curse the bar, but you’ll ditch the treadmill. [Crush a Complex Instead]

Athlean‑X founder Jeff Cavaliere says you don’t need fancy machines for a full quad sweep - just the humble front squat and the Bulgarian split squat. For front squats, he recommends a clean grip and a slight forward lean so the bar tracks over the midfoot; the cross‑arm version often shifts load to the wrong places. The Bulgarian split squat demands the opposite posture: stand super tall, drive the front knee forward, and perform one‑and‑a‑half reps to keep tension on your quads. The combo hammers both legs evenly, builds thigh thickness, and spares your spine. [Unlock the Two‑Move Quad Cure]

Three weeks before the 2025 Mr. Olympia, Hadi “The Persian Wolf” Choopan finally secured his U.S. visa after a month‑long wait in Dubai and immediately hit an FST‑7 back workout with coach Hany Rambod. He cycled through seated cable rows, dumbbell rows, barbell rows, chest‑supported machine rows, rear‑delt cable flies, and bent‑over dumbbell flies, finishing with seven pump‑chasing sets to expand fascia and drag more nutrients into the muscles. [See the FST‑7 Grind]

Reigning Mr. Olympia Samson Dauda is “exhausted, starving, and excited,” so he’s leaning on supersets to maximize intensity without draining his tank. In his latest session, he paired machine high rows with lat pulldowns, T‑bar rows with seated cable rows, then finished with heavy rack pulls. Supersets let him burn more calories and get a wicked pump despite low energy, so he limits each exercise to two heavy sets taken to the brink. Dauda vows to unveil a look fans have never seen and, with only two back sessions left before October, every superset counts. [Steal His Back‑Building Supersets]

Classic physique standout Mike Sommerfeld used a Cutler Cast appearance to remind fans that the 2025 title is anyone’s game now that Chris Bumstead has retired. He sees Ramon Queiroz and Terrence Ruffin as his toughest rivals and credits precision training over wild ego lifts. Sommerfeld insisted he’s not overconfident but believes competitors must “beat me first” before they can claim the crown. [Hear His Candid Callout]

To build or preserve muscle during a caloric deficit, try rest‑pause training, which eliminates filler reps by keeping muscles near failure. Load a weight that makes you fail at 10–12 reps, go to failure, rest 15–20 seconds, and repeat 2–3 more mini‑sets until your rep count drops by 20–30%. Research shows this style matches traditional volume for hypertrophy but in far less time. This weekly plan squeezes chest, back, shoulders, legs, and arms into 20‑minute sessions with two exercises each and warns to warm up properly. [Master the Rest‑Pause Method]

Three weeks out from the 2025 Olympia, reigning champion Derek Lunsford shared a “high‑carb day” featuring six meals and more than 4,000 calories. He starts with bison and rice, followed by chicken and rice, then a whey‑protein shake with bananas, another round of rice and cod, bison with potatoes, and a final shrimp‑and‑cod rice bowl. Lunsford’s supplement stack includes vitamin C, fish oil, vitamin D, liver support, zinc, and calcium D‑glucarate. He feels best when eating clean and cycles high‑carb days to fuel brutal workouts while staying lean. After beating Nick Walker at the Pittsburgh Pro, he’s determined not to lose momentum. [See His Full Menu]

The bodybuilding world was shocked to learn of Jessica Rivera’s death in her native Mexico. Rivera earned her IFBB pro card at the 2016 North American Championships and went on to compete at the Toronto Pro, New York Pro, Chicago Pro, and Pittsburgh Pro, wowing audiences with her symmetry and dense muscle. Colleagues like Justin Rodriguez confirmed the news. Her passing follows recent losses of Erik Markov and Luz Maria Barrera Agaton, underscoring the sport’s fragility. Fans will remember her relentless work ethic and quiet grace. [Celebrate Her Legacy]

Huanji China Pro Paves the Road to the 2026 Olympia

Xian, China, hosted the Huanji Pro on September 21, where four divisions handed out 2026 Olympia tickets. Brandon Hendrickson captured Men’s Physique title, Nasser Mohammad claimed the Men’s 212, Daryn Shirbayev took Classic Physique, and Wu Bi triumphed in Bikini. Hendrickson’s win makes him one of the few athletes qualified for both the 2025 and 2026 Olympias. [Check the Full Scorecards]

At the Strongman Champions League USA in Sandusky, Ohio, 13 athletes battled across seven brutal events, including a construction medley, 55‑kg front hold, keg toss, and a 27,000‑pound ferry pull. Tristain Hoath and Nick Wortham tied with 75.5 points, but Hoath clinched victory by winning two events - including dominating the Atlas Stones - in a tiebreaker. The top six competitors were separated by only six points, highlighting how competitive the field was. [Witness the Strongman Showdown]

This macro calculator takes the guesswork out of nutrition by crunching your age, weight, height, activity level, and body fat to estimate your basal metabolic rate and total daily energy expenditure. After choosing a goal - fat loss, maintenance, or muscle gain - the tool delivers custom calorie targets and breaks them down into grams of protein, carbs, and fats using the “If It Fits Your Macros” approach. Whether you’re cutting, bulking, or cruising, the calculator helps you dial in your diet and adjust as your body changes. It’s free, fast, and might be the nudge you need to hit your macro targets. [Count Your Macros Now]

Good Vito’s latest back check‑in shows wingspan for days and a waistline as tight as Vegas security; consider this a friendly warning to anyone chasing the 2025 Olympia crown.📸💪

High‑Protein Snack Recipe of the Day: Bagel Cottage Cheese Snack Jar

Stir half a cup of cottage cheese with a tablespoon of salt‑free everything bagel seasoning and a pinch of salt, then layer it in a jar. Top with chopped red bell pepper for crunch and color, sprinkle on crunchy chickpeas for fiber and plant protein, and dust with more seasoning to finish. The result is a creamy‑crispy jar that packs protein and calcium from cottage cheese and a hit of fiber from the chickpeas, keeping you full until your next meal. It comes together in under 10 minutes, travels well, and scratches that savory everything‑bagel itch without the bagel. Grab a spoon and savor the crunch.

The Strength Bulletin

  • Fresh from Santo Domingo, Rodni Hebbert, Mehdi Kabbadj, Nadine Huber, Alice Marchisio, and Dayse Do Valle snagged Classic Physique, Men’s Physique, Figure, Bikini, and Wellness titles at the 2025 Dominican Republic Pro, punching five tickets to the 2026 Olympia. [See All the Winners]

  • At the 2025 Titans Grand Prix Pro, Desunka Dawson bested Patti Hanson and Kristina Mendoza to claim Women’s Bodybuilding gold and an Olympia berth. [View the Scorecards]

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